Markets
Bedding for the United Kingdom: Single, Double, King and Super King
UK bedding is built around four core sizes: Single, Double, King and Super King, with Small Single and Small Double as regional additions and no Queen at all. Sizes are quoted in centimetres, though the trade still names beds in imperial feet, and a UK set is usually a fitted sheet, a duvet cover and pillowcases rather than the flat-sheet set common in the United States. The dimensions below are the reference points that major UK retailers sell to. Confirm them against your buyer's own specification before you order, because they are conventions the market has settled on rather than a single fixed standard.
This guide goes deeper on the UK than a cross-market overview can. For how the UK compares with the US, Europe and Australia in one table, see the combined bed linen sizes guide.
The names: feet on the label, centimetres on the spec
British beds are still named in imperial feet even though the industry specifies in centimetres. A Double is a "4'6"", a King is a "5'0"" and a Super King is a "6'0"". Below the core four sit two smaller sizes that a full range often carries: the Small Single at 2'6" and the Small Double, sometimes called a Queen by older UK retailers, at 4'0". That last point is the one that catches importers. The word Queen, where it appears in a British catalogue, means the 120 cm Small Double, not the North American Queen. Treat the feet as the customer-facing label and the centimetre figure as the specification.
UK mattress sizes
These are the mattress footprints UK linen is cut for. Regional and premium ranges vary, so confirm against your buyer's retail standard.
| Name | Imperial | Metric | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Single | 2'6" | 75 x 190 cm | 30 x 75 in |
| Single | 3'0" | 90 x 190 cm | 35 x 75 in |
| Small Double | 4'0" | 120 x 190 cm | 47 x 75 in |
| Double | 4'6" | 135 x 190 cm | 53 x 75 in |
| King | 5'0" | 150 x 200 cm | 59 x 79 in |
| Super King | 6'0" | 180 x 200 cm | 71 x 79 in |
One detail matters more than any other on this table: the length step. Single, Small Double and Double are all 190 cm long, then King and Super King jump to 200 cm. A buyer who assumes a single length across the range will make fitted sheets that are 10 cm short on the larger beds. Emperor sizes, around 200 x 200 cm and larger, are sold by a few specialists but are not a standard and should be treated as a made-to-measure line.
A UK set is led by the duvet cover
The single biggest difference from the US market is not a dimension, it is the product mix. British households sleep under a duvet with a cover and rarely use a top sheet, so a UK bedding set is typically a fitted sheet, a duvet cover and one or two pillowcases. Flat sheets are still sold, mostly into hospitality and to traditional buyers, but they are a secondary line rather than the core of a set. If your range is built around US-style flat-and-fitted sets, expect to restructure it for UK retail.
Duvet cover sizes
The duvet cover does not follow the mattress footprint. A Double duvet cover is square at 200 x 200 cm even though the bed is only 135 cm wide, because the cover has to drape both sides of a duvet that is itself oversized. These are the sizes most UK retailers sell.
| Name | Metric | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 135 x 200 cm | 53 x 79 in |
| Double | 200 x 200 cm | 79 x 79 in |
| King | 230 x 220 cm | 91 x 87 in |
| Super King | 260 x 220 cm | 102 x 87 in |
King is the size to pin down early, because it is where retailers disagree: some sell a King cover at 225 x 220 cm and others at 230 x 220 cm. Write the exact finished dimension on the specification rather than the name. Whatever the size, specify the closure as well: buttons, ties, a zip or a hidden placket each change the making and the cost.
Pillowcases: housewife or Oxford
Pillowcases are where the UK has its own vocabulary. The two standard styles share a pillow but finish differently.
| Style | Metric | Inches | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housewife | 50 x 75 cm | 20 x 30 in | Plain, stitched to the edge |
| Oxford | 50 x 75 cm plus a 5 cm border | plus a 2 in border | Flat fabric border on all sides |
| King | 50 x 90 cm | 20 x 35 in | Longer, for King and Super King beds |
| Square (Continental) | 65 x 65 cm | 26 x 26 in | Decorative front pillow, not for sleeping |
The housewife and Oxford distinction is the one a UK buyer will expect you to know. Both fit the same pillow; the Oxford simply carries a fabric border, which adds cutting and stitching. The 65 cm square is sold as a decorative pillow across the UK, Europe and Australia and is a separate line item, so decide early whether your set includes it because it changes the piece count.
Fitted sheets and pocket depth
A fitted sheet takes its width and length from the mattress table above, plus a third dimension the table cannot give you: the pocket depth. UK mattresses have deepened, and a pocket that fitted a slim divan mattress will not reach around a modern pillow-top. Specify the finished depth rather than leaving it to the factory.
| Fits a mattress | Metric | Inches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | slim to medium | 25 to 30 cm | 10 to 12 in |
| Deep | modern and pillow-top | about 35 cm | 14 in |
All-round elastic holds a deep pocket on the mattress far better than corner-only elastic and costs very little more. State the elastic type on the tech pack alongside the depth.
Flat sheets, where you still need them
For hospitality and for the traditional retail buyer who still wants a top sheet, the UK flat sheet sizes run larger than the mattress because they tuck on three sides and fold back at the top.
| Name | Metric | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 180 x 260 cm | 71 x 102 in |
| Double | 230 x 260 cm | 91 x 102 in |
| King | 275 x 275 cm | 108 x 108 in |
| Super King | 305 x 275 cm | 120 x 108 in |
Treat these as conventions. A deeper mattress or a longer tuck moves them, so the figure that matters is the finished size on your own specification.
What this means for your order
- Structure the set for the UK. Fitted sheet, duvet cover and pillowcases, not flat-and-fitted. Add a flat sheet only if the buyer asks for one.
- Fix the King duvet dimension in writing. It is the size retailers disagree on, and a name alone will not settle it.
- Plan the size run. Offering Single through Super King in two pillowcase styles multiplies SKUs quickly. A private-label order is often set per quality and per colourway rather than per size, so a minimum can be split across a size range instead of forcing a full minimum for each size.
- Confirm the sizes before sampling. The dimensions here are what the market sells, not a fixed rule, and a buyer confirms them against their own spec sheet.
Every bed linen piece and set is on our bed linen page. To develop a UK size set, send the finished dimensions your retailer works to and we sample from those.
Common questions
Is there a Queen size in UK bedding?
Not in the North American sense. Where a British retailer uses the word Queen it usually means the 120 cm Small Double. The UK core range is Single, Double, King and Super King, so a range built for the UK does not carry a US Queen.
What is the difference between a housewife and an Oxford pillowcase?
Both are 50 x 75 cm and fit the same pillow. A housewife is stitched to the edge with no border; an Oxford has a flat fabric border, usually around 5 cm, on all four sides. The Oxford adds cutting and stitching, so it costs a little more.
Are UK King and Super King beds longer than Single and Double?
Yes. Single, Small Double and Double are 190 cm long, while King and Super King step up to 200 cm. Fitted and flat sheets must reflect that extra 10 cm on the larger sizes.
Do UK customers expect a top sheet?
Usually not. British bedding is built around a duvet and cover, so a top or flat sheet is optional and mostly appears in hospitality. Build the retail set around a fitted sheet, a duvet cover and pillowcases.